#9 – LaserDisc

The LaserDisc was a home video format released by MCA in 1978. Meant to compete with VHS and Betamax, the LaserDisc faced obstacles from the start. Even though the LaserDisc produced a much better quality of video than either VHS or Betamax, it was unable to compete financially. The disc players and the movies were very expensive, and there was no outlet for renting the discs, as had happened with VHS rentals. It also never expanded past North America and Japan, with the LaserDisc remaining very obscure in Europe and Australia. By the mid 1990’s, the LaserDisc players were all but extinct. However, the technology behind the LaserDisc was the foundation for the DVD, Compact Disc, and Blu-Ray Discs.